Feeding and stacking machine



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WE1/forme? d Sept.. 5 1950 L. n.. MATTHEWS 519075 FEEDING AND STACKING MACHINE Filed May 17 1947 13 Sheets-Sheet 9 E INVENT0R- HND/wey L.. L. MATTHEWS 2,52L075 FEEDING AND sTAcKING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet l0 epi., 59 l5@ File@ may l?, 1947 Sept@ 5, i959 a.. L. MATTHEW@ FEEDING AND STACKING MACHINE 3.3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 3.7, 194,7

Filed May 17', 1947 L. Il... MATTHWS FEEDING AND STACKING MACHINE lS Sheets-Sheet l2 www INVENTOR.

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Sept. 5, 1950 n.. L. MATTHEWS FEEDING AND sTAcxING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet 13 Filed May 17, 1947 Patented Sept. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT yoEElcE FEEDING AND STACKING MACHINE Louis L. Matthews, Westerly,-R. I., assignor to Maxson Automatic Machinery Company, Westerly, R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application May 17, 1947, Serial No. 748,813

7 Claims. (Cl. 271-88) The present invention relates to feeding-ande stacking machines, and more particularly to machines for feeding and stacking sheet material,

like paper. y

Almachine of the above-described character in common use comprises a plurality of tapes for feeding the sheets into a lay-boy, where; they become stacked upon a main support. The .main support is automatically lowered by degrees to maintain the top of the stack of sheetsatsubstantially constant height, thereby permitting the feeding means to continue feeding the sheets into the lay-boy on top of the stackvwithout hindrance from the sheetsl already there.. When the main support becomes lowered to the floor, however, it becomes necessary to remove it, and to substitute therefor a new main supportzon which to stack further sheets. It -is essential, at such times, either to shut down the'machine, so as to prevent the feeding `of furtherY sheets into the lay-boy, or else, if it is desired not to interrupt the continuous feeding of the sheets, to provide an auxiliary support onwhich temporarily to stack the sheets during the removal of the completed stack on the main support and the substitution therefor of a new main support, after which the sheets temporarily stacked on the auxiliary supportmust be transferred to the substituted main support.

An object of the present invention is to .provide a new and improved feeding-and-stacking machine adapted for the employment of anew and improved auxiliary support.

A further object is to provide new and improved means for supporting the auxiliary support at times when it is used for the stacking of sheets thereon and during the removal of the stack of sheets and the replacement therefor of a new main support.

Another object is to provide a new and-improved machine of the above-described character especially adapted for the feeding and stacking of long sheets. l l

Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. l and 1A together constitute a diagrammatic view in side elevation, with parts broken away, for clearness, of a paper-cuttingand-feeding machine embodying the present; invention, an intermediate portion of the machine being omitted between the lines A-A, and the fingers constituting the auxiliary support `being 2 shown retracted; Fig.2 is a section taken upon the line 2--2 of Fig. `3, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is aplan of the left-hand portionvof the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 1A, the auxiliary supporting fingers being shown ex,- tended, with a portion of a sheet resting thereonz; Fig. 4 is an lend elevation, looking from the left of Figs. 1, 1A, 2 and 3; Fig. 5 is a section taken upon the line 5,,5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of thearrows; Fig. `6 is a section similar to Fig. 2, upon a larger scale, showing the auxiliary supporting fingers partly extended; Fig. 7 is a section, upon astill largerscale, taken upon the lineY l-'l of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. `8 is a-section taken upon the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, looking downward in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 9 is an elevation looking from the left of Fig...7; Fig. 10 is a section similar to Fig. 7, with the parts in relatively different positions; Fig. 11 is-asection taken upon the line II-ll of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. A12 is an elevation of a detail showing the rear support for the'supporting fingers, looking from the left, as viewed in Figs. 4 and 5, but upon a larger scale; Fig. 13 is'a section taken upon the line l3--I3 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, upon a larger scale; Fig. 14 is a view looking from above, in Fig. 12; Fig. 15 is an elevation, partlyin longitudinal section, upon an enlarged scale, of one of the auxiliary supporting fingers; Fig. 16 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the machine in a diagrammatic View of circuits for controlling Ythe operation of extending and retracting theauxiliary supporting fingers, the supporting iingerskbeingshown retracted; Fig. 17 is a View similar to Fig. 16, showing the supporting fingers extended; Fig. 18 is a diagrammatic view illus: trating the feeding of sheets on to a main support in the lay-boy, the auxiliary supporting fingers being retracted; Fig. 19 is a similar view, showing the accumulation of the stack of sheetsn on the main support, at a later time; Fig. 20 is a similar view, showing the stack of sheets on the main support completed andthe feeding of fuither sheets on the extended auxiliary nger's', pending the removal of the main support with the stack of sheets thereon; Fig. 21 is a view similar to Fig. 20, showing the main support with the stack of `sheets thereon removed and a new main support substituted therefor; Fig. 22 is a view similar to Fig. 2l, showing the substituted main support raised into position ready' to receive the sheets temporarily accumulated on the supporting fingers upon the retraction of the ends of which carry gears I7.

supporting fingers; and Fig. 23 is a fragmentary perspective, upon a larger scale.

The drawings illustrate a paper-sheet-cuttingand-feeding machine of well-known type, such as is commonly employed in paper mills, to cut webs from a roll or rolls into sheets, and feeding the sheets by means of more or less horizontal conveyor tapes, intoalay-boy.

A web 32 Vis led froma paper roll (not shown) of paper to feed rolls I0, by which the paper is advanced to a stationary bed-knife cutter I5. The term Web, paper, sheet` or its equivalent, will be employed herein to denote either a racks I6, will result in adjustment of the carriage I3, 60 lengthwise of the machine, thus effecting corresponding adjustment of the stops 25.

The main skid support or platform II is initially raised to a level just below that of the delivery tapes 2 and B, as shown in Fig. 18. As the sheets continue to loe fed into the lay-boy 4, and lbecome stacked or piled on the main support II, the main support II becomes automatically low-- ered, by degrees, in order to maintain the level single layer -or a plurality fof' superposed layers of the paper or other material.V A rotary cutter I6 cooperates with the bed cutter I5"to cut the traveling web into sheets 56 of theadesiredflength. The invention is equally applicable to machines for feeding previously cut sheets.

Owing to the feeding action Iof the rolls I0, vaided by gravity, the Asheets 56 travel, ata downward incline, toward a series of cooperating conveyor tapes or belts .2 and =6. 'The plurality of conveyor tapes -or belts 2 and 6 and the rotary cutter I6 are actuated by any desired mechanism il.' The conveyor tapes or belts 6 are'disposed approximately horizontal, at a level below the vlevel at which the web .32 is fed'between the Arolls I0, 4but they may be inclined slightly upward, to slope toward the lay-boy 4. Together with-the bed-knife cutter I5 andotherv parts of the machine, the tapes or belts 2 ands are mounted on 'a frame 26 to the rear ofthe lay-boy 4.

As shown clearly in Figs. -18 and 19, the tapes 2 and 6 feed the sheets 56 forward in order to deliver them singly into the lay-boy 4 upon a main skid support or platform Il,for stacking and piling. The tapes 2 and 6 are naturally above the level of the main support II inthe lay-boy 4. Fig. 18 represents the 4condition shortly after the rotary cutter I6 and the tapes 2 and Shave been star-tedoperating. The lmain skid supporter platform -II has been raised Jto its highest position `and sheets- 56 havebegun to be stacked thereon. Fig. -19 represents a later stage, after a considerablenumberof sheets 56 have become stacked on the skid support or platform II. I v :In the lay-boy 4, the sheets A56 engage vfront stops -25, Figs. 1 to4 and'6,to limit 4their further forward movement. The sheets-are jogged by side jogger blades 5, in the usual-manner. The side jogger blades 5 andv rear joggers 1, in com bination with stationary -ngers -8, assure that the sheets 56 shall be stacked or piledevenl-y. Constructions for effecting this'result Vare -described, for example, -in Letters Patent 2,261,972, issued November 1v1, .1941, and 2,367,416, issued January 16, v1945, to 4Louis -L. Matthews. The jog-- gers and other parts vare fomitted :fromrthe vldiagrammatic Figs. 18 .to 22, forclarity.

.. The length of the lsheets that may Vbe stacked or piled in the lay-boy is determined-:by the position of the front stops 215.-. The stops 425'should therefore be adjustable. They are shown -oarried upon brackets thatare hooked: over the vertical lleg I3 of a transversely .disposed 'Lfshaped arm of a carriage in which is rotatably mounted a similarly transverselyy disposed .shaft 'I4 `the Fig. .6 shows the shaft I4, upon a larger scale, resting :on the horizontal leg 60 of this carriage. Thegears .Il'I mesh with fixed longitudinally. disposed racks I8. Rotation of the shaft I4, 'through the intermeshing arrangement of the vgears |71 vvand fthe of the stack or .pile of sheets 56 approximately uniform. This may be effected in any desired manner, as under the control of oscillatory hooked members I2, as described, for example, in Letters Patent 1,545,912 issued July 14, 1925, to Charles B. Maxson. In time, the support will become lowered, through the position illustrated in- Fig. 19, to the floor, as shown in Fig. 2G. One of two procedures becomes thereupon possible. Either the machine must be shut down, until the main support II, with the stack or pile of sheets 55 thereon is removed, and a new main support I I is substituted therefor, and raised into the position of Fig. 18, or else an auxiliary support for the oncoming sheets 56 must be provided, on which the sheets 56 may continue to be stacked or piled temporarily, for subsequent transfer to the substituted main support I I.

Auxiliary-support proposals have heretofore been made, among them the proposal that the auxiliary support be conned normally within the framework 26 .below the tapes or belts 2 and 6, and tothe right of the lay-boy 4, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 1A. Part of this framework is not shown, as it is contained between the lines A-A. The proposal has involved moving the auxiliary support out from within the confines of the framework 26, ytoward the left, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 1A, into the lay-boy 4, when it is desired to remove the main support II and to replace it with a new main support I I.

As will be understood from Fig. 20, however, there is not very much room between the top of the completed stack and the line of delivery of the sheets 56 into the lay-boy 4 into which to interpose such an auxiliary support. Fig. 20, indeed, has purposely been distorted, for purposes of clarity, to show relatively much more room than actually obtains, in practice. The stacks may be three to six feet high. This proposal, therefore, would either involve redesigning the machine, to provide more vertical space in which to position a more sturdy auxiliary support, or else it would be necessary to employ an auxiliary support of so weak a nature that it would not be-able to support very many temporarily stacked or .piled sheets, particularly if the sheets are rather long.

Neither of these expedients is satisfactory. The former has involved increasing the size of the machine to accommodate a heavy I-beam auxiliary support; or, at least, an auxiliary support that is of quite thick dimension at the place where it is held to the machine. As for the latter proposal, many a temporary stack or pile Vof sheets, particularly long sheets, or even short sheets if suiiiciently heavy, has slipped off the auxiliary support and on to the licor, due to its flexing-or sagging under the weight of the sheets bythe time that -the main support II and the stack or Apile of sheets thereon has been removed andanew main support I'I has been substituted therefor.

. .According to thee-'present invention, the auxilas shown in Fig. 21.

iary support for temporarily receiving the sheets 56 during the removal of the completed stack and the replacement of a new main support Il is constituted of a plurality of horizontally disposed supporting fingers 28 arranged in the form of a grid disposed normally just below the tapes 2 and 6 from side to side of the machine. The fingers 28 are of relatively small cross-dimension vertically. A very satisfactory form that the fingers may assume is 2%; inch-diameter` tubing. A space of 3/4 inch is available above the top of the completed stack shown in Fig. 20 and below the level of the path of feed of the sheets 56 at the time that the sheets 56 are delivered by the tapes 2 and 6 thereabove into the lay-boy 4. The fingers may be about 21/2 inches apart. The forward free ends of the tubing fingers 28 are plugged, as shown more particularly at 38, in Fig. '15. The rear ends of the tubing lingers 28 are secured to the transversely disposed bar of a carriage 3, Figs. 1A to 5 and 12 to 17.

The tranversely disposed bar of this carriage 3 is provided at its ends with guide plates 34 each having a pair of-upper and a pair of lower guide rollers 36. The guide plates 34 are mounted to slide along longitudinally disposed tracks 38, one at each side of the machine, the upper and lower pairs of rollers 36 respectively engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the tracks 38 for antifriction purposes. The carriage 3 is thus slidable back and forth longitudinally of the machine.

The fingers 28 are normally retracted, within the coniines of the frame 26, as shown in Figs. 1, 1A and 16. At the completion of a stack, however, the carriage 3 to which these rear ends are secured is actuated horizontally forward along the tracks 38 toward the lay-boy 4, in order to carry the fingers 28 beyond the stationary fingers 8 and the rear joggers 1, into the lay-boy 4, so as to dispose them just above the top sheet of the completed stack, and below the tapes 2 and 6, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 17. The fingers 28 are shown occupying an intermediately disposed position in Fig. 6.

The position of the supporting iingers 28 corresponding to that of Figs. 1, 1A and 16 is diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. '18 and 19. Upon the completion of the stack shown in Fig. 20, and just prior to the main support or platform I I reaching the floor, the supporting fingers 28 are extended forward into the lay-boy 4 to the position of Figs. 2, 3 and 17. The support ll is lowered the remaining short distance to the floor later, electrically or manually. The fingers 28 are extended forward very rapidly, so that the next following sheets 56 fed from between the tapes 2 and 6 will be received temporarily on these extending fingers 28, instead of on the stack below, and without shutting down the equipment. The tapes 2 and 6 continue to feed the sheets 56 on to the extending fingers 28, as is also 'illustrated in Fig. 20, during the removal of the main support Il, with the stack thereon, and the substitution therefor of a new main skid support l I, The new main skid support Ii is thereupon raised, by means of a wellknown lay-boy elevating table, not shown, to its uppermost position, just below and in contact with the extending fingers 28, as shown in Fig. 22. The extending fingers 28 are thereupon retracted, from the position diagrammatically shown in Fig. 22, to their original position, diagrammatically shown in Fig. 18. The sheets thus temporarily stacked on the extended ngers 28 become thereupon automatically lowered on to arms 58.

the new main support I I, through the small vertical space corresponding to the thickness of the ngers 28.

Fingers 28 of so small-diameter tubing, being naturally very flexible, would be unable to carry the load of the sheets 56 temporarily stacked thereon, were it not for the support that they are accorded by the present invention, as will now be explained.

As illustrated upon a larger scale in Fig. 7, a two-armed pivoted member, of right-angular cross-section, extending from side to side of the machine, is normally so disposed that its angle is normally oriented toward on-coming fingers 28, with its upper or more or less upright arm 4i) at the level of the horizontally disposed fingers 28, and tilting toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, toward the fingers 28. As the free plugged ends 36 of the fingers enter this angle, therefore, toward the limit of their forward movement into the lay-boy 4, they engage this upper arm 48 in order to effect pivotal movement of the angle member, tilting it backward, from the position of Fig. 7 into the position of Fig. 10. The other or more or less horizontally disposed arm 42, which normally inclines somewhat downward, is thus ycaused to pivot upward, thus to eifect engagement of the undersides of the forward free ends 36 of the ngers 28, as shown in Fig. 10, thus turning them up and providing a support for the forward ends of the ngers. The pivotal movement of the angle-iron 40, 42 is limited by forward and rear stops 44 and 46.

This pivotal movement of the angle iron 40, 42 will take place irrespective of the point at which, within limits, the forward ends 30 of the fingers 28 engage the arm 48. In Fig. 7, the free ends 38 of several of the fingers 23 as shown out of horizontal alinement, as might occur if they should sag or vibrate during their advance into the lay-boy. They 'Will all, however, become alined horizontally, as shown in Fig. 10, by the arm 42 that supports them during the beforedescribed temporary stacking of sheets 56 on the fingers 28.

The pivoting of the angle member 48, 42, may be effected in any desired Way, as by means of pivot pins 58 projecting from plates 52 provided with angular grooves 54 in which the ends of the angle iron are tted, as will be understood more particularly from Figs. 3, 7, 8 and l0.

The pivot pins 58 extend into pivot openings 48 disposed at the lower ends of the supporting For purposes of assembly, each pivot opening is provided half in a block 58 and the mating half in a yblock 62 bolted to the supporting arm 58.

As the auxiliary support constituted of the supDQrting fingers 23 is thus supported at two points, spaced a considerable distance apart, by the carriage 3 and the angle iron 40, 42, there is no possibility for any sagging or flexing of the fingers 28, and they may therefore carry a considerable load. Though the angle iron 48, 42, moreover, normally occupies the position illustrated in Fig. '1, in which it is ineffective to support the front free ends 38 of the supporting fingers 28, it is the fingers 28 themselves, when they reach their forward limit of movement, that render the angle iron effective, by tilting it automatically into the position shown in Fig. 10.

It has been stated above that the machine may be adjusted to the handling of different-length sheets byadjusting the position of the stops 25.

1.7 it Afis necessary, roi. cou se,; to adjust the position of the ,angle tiranti), 42 .to-correspond. All that is necessary, to this end, is to mount thegangle 1- ;iron 153,142. ,upon vthe ,sa-me v,carriage :upon-which ris .mounted the. Atransversely disposed p Lfshaped .lahm-113,158,that-:carries the frontstopsp The -;plates5,2 :for supporting, the ends of theiangle ;iron 4l`i,g 42Y ;are;v therefore disposed .at ,the-.lower ends of the arms 58, shown .-adjustably ,bolted :tothe ends 1of the supporting armI I3. yWhen the .operator adjusts the machine so as to set the front stops `25 for the particular-size sheets 56 fed and stacked in the machine, therefore, he at V.the same time automaticallyv adjustsV properly @the .position of the angle ironx4D,.42 also. The I.vertical position of the angle irony 45), 42 may also be adjusted by bolting the supporting arm 58. at .die1'ent Vertical positions tothe transyerselyv disposed supporting arm I3, 66, as ,by means ofi-the bolt-.and-slot connections shown in .,Figs.- 7, 9 and 1'0.

The same front stops 25 and the same side jog- @gers 5and rear joggers "i, therefore, that operviaternormally to even up the stack as the sheets 156 areV fed onto lthe main skid support il, therefore,V operate also to even up ,the sheets v5t while Lthey are being temporarily stacked in the auxfiliary support constituted of the extending 1in- A.gers28- When ,the supporting iingers 23 are retracted, therefore, they will comb out `:from under the sheets 56 temporarily stacked thereon, zand rwill travel back through the stationary fmgers 8; and the rear joggers The temporarily stacked sheets 55 will therefore become deposited ,on the substituted skid support II in yan even yuniform pile.

The rear joggers l, the stationarygngers 8 and -the hooked members I2 are disposedA in the spaces between adjacently disposed fingers .1 28. Thelevel of the fingersl 28 is just above the bottoms `of. the stops 25, in order that the same .-stopsg may serve during the stacking of both ...the -main rand .the temporary stacks or piles of Vsheets 56. `The main support II, whenk first introduced into the lay-boy, is raised into contact r -With the bottoms of the stops 25. The retracted 4 temporary pile, therefore, drops only a Very small distance on to the new main support I I when -the fingers 28 are retracted.

-The carriage 3 to which the rear ends of the extending supporting fingers 26 are secured is actuated back and forth, to move the extending u, fingers 28 into and out of the lay-.boy 4, by means of two sprocketchains 64 the ends of which are 1 secured tothe opposite ends of ,the respective.

l.i-Zuideuplates .34. The sprocket chains 64 leach passes over sprocket wheels 66 and-.68 and a f sprocket-chain tightener 70. The sprocket wheels 6 are mounted at the opposite ends of a transversely disposed shaft 'I2 and the sprocket wheels '68 at the opposite ends of a similarly disposed shaft 14. The shaft 'i4 is driven from a motor 'I6 v through connections i8 and a sprocket wheel 88 mounted upon the shaft '14. The supporting 1ingers 28 may therefore be actuated into and outf.

4U, Fig; 17, to the in position, iuustrated in Fig, ie.

.atvconsiderable speed. angle ironf40,-42, therefore, and if the brakei90 yshould happen not to operate perfectly, they may @travel out forward beyond the front stops'25, to strike the headof a person whomayhappen .diag-rammatically shown in-Fig. 1'7, toa position rjust abovethe top of the stack supported by the main support II,-as illustrated in Fig. 20. v'The fingers 723` become thus positioned in 'the Apath .of the feed of the sheets 56, in replacement yfor Athe top of the just-completed stack. The feeding ofthefsheets .56 :may therefore continue, withoutinterruption,` the fingers 28, as before -eX- .p1ained, constituting an auxiliary support for the :sheets y56. lA new stack of sheets, but much smaller 'than the regular stack before described, :become thus temporarily deposited on ythis auxiliarysupport.

Upon the forward ends 30 of the iingersf28 Atilting the angle iron 4D, 42, from the position of Fig. 'Tinto the :position of Fig, l0, a lever B4 will beactuated, in response to this tilting -movenient of theangle :iron 40, 42, from the position ofl Fig-:16 :into that of Fig. 17, thus causing the `position of afrontI limit switch 8G to open the circuit for the motor 'i6 and vdeenergize a solenoid 88 for .actuating a brake $6 that is nori mally releasedwhen Athe motor 76 is in operation, l .thus 'to Ystop the motor i6 short. This will overcome any tendency for the extending ngersr 28 to over-travel. The front limit switch 86 thus determines the position of the ngers28 above the main skid support II with the sheets stacked thereon, though .the brake aids in .this determination. The front limit switch 8S and the lever 84, of course, are adjustable as a unit with the angle viron-4I), 42, and the front stops 25, being mounted on the arm 58.

When, after a new Skid support I I has been placed in position, as illustrated in Fig, 22, -it is desi-red to retract the fingers 28, so as to deposit the sheets 5B temporarily stacked thereon on to the newskid support II, the switch 82 will be actuated from the out position, as shown in iron. ,This return tilting movement of the angle iron causes the lever 84 to return the limit switch L.86, from the position illustrated in Fig, 17, to the original .position illustrated in Fig. 16.

When thecarriage supporting the rear ends `of the fingers 28 reaches itsoriginal position,.an arml 92 projecting rearwardly thereof engages a :rear limitswtch-34 to open the circuit of the motor 16.

The angle iron 40, 42, serves a further function ras a :safety device to prevent injury to the operator or other person who may happen to'be in the vi-cinityof the machine Vduring the forward movementof the supporting fingers 28 into the lay-boyd. These fingers 28 enter the lay-boyi4 In the absence of the to A-bestanding in front of the lay-boy 4. The

-ang1e-iron-4Il,42, insures that no such ,injury example, to feed and stack sheets 80 inches-longv other machines and in machines of other typesV and that modifications may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet-feeding-and-stacking machine naving, in combination, a main support for a stack of sheets, means for feeding sheets forward to the main support for stacking thereon, a carriage, an' auxiliary support the rear end of which is mounted on the carriage, means for actuating the carriage to dispose the auxiliary support above the main support in the path of feed of the sheets in order that the feeding means may feed 'the sheets to the auxiliary support for stacking on the auxiliary support, normally ineffective means for supporting the forward end cf the auxiliary support when the auxiliary support is disposed above the main support, and means controlled by the auxiliary support when disposed above the main support for rendering the supporting means effective.

2. A sheet-feeding-and-stacking machine having, in combination, a frame, a lay-boy in which a main support may be disposed, a plurality of tapes mounted on the frame above and to the rear of the lay-boy for feeding sheets forward into the lay-boy for stacking therein on the main support, a carriage, a plurality of ngers constituting an auxiliary support and the rear ends of which are mounted on the carriage so that the fingers are normally disposed under the tapes, means foractuating the carriage forward into the lay-boy to dispose the fingers above the main support below the tapes in order that the tapes may feed the sheets to the fingers for stacking on the ngers, normally ineffective means for supporting the forward ends of the fingers when the fingers are disposed above the main support, and means controlled by the fingers when disposed above the main support for rendering the supporting means effective.

3. A sheet-feeding-and-stacking machine having, in combination, a frame, a lay-boy in which a main support may be disposed, a plurality of tapes mounted on the frame above and to the rear of the lay-boy for feeding sheets forward into the lay-boy and stacking them therein on the main support, a stop for engaging the forward ends of the sheets in the lay-boy, a carriage, a plurality of fingers constituting an auxiliary support and the rear ends of which are mounted on the carriage so that the fingers are normally disposed under the tapes, means for actuating the carriage forward into the layboy to dispose the fingers above the main support below the tapes in order that the tapes may feed the sheets to the fingers for stacking on the fingers, normally ineective means for supporting the forward ends of the fingers when the fingers are disposed above the main support, means controlled by the fingers when disposed 120 above the main support for rendering the sup-y porting means effective, and a common support for the stop and the normally ineffective sup` porting means, the common support -being adjustable to adjust the machine for the feeding and stacking of different-length; sheets. V

. 4. A sheet-feeding-and-staclring machine having, in combination, a main support for a stack of sheets, means-for feeding sheets forward to the main support for stacking thereon, a carriage, an auxiliary support the rear end of which ismounted on the carriage, means for actuating the carriage to dispose the auxiliary sup-v port above the mainsupport in the path of feed of the sheets'in order that the feeding means. may feed the sheets to the auxiliary support for stacking on the Aauxiliary support, and a two-Y the other arm to providel a support by the said.

other arm for the .forward end of the auxiliary support. 1

5. A sheet-feeding-and-stacking machine havy ing, in combination, a frame, a lay-boy in which a main support may be disposed, a plurality of tapes mounted on the frame above and to the rear of the lay-boy for feeding sheets forward into the lay-boy and stacking them therein on the main support, a carriage, a plurality of hori- Zontal disposed fingers constituting an auxiliary support and the rear ends of which are mounted on the carriage so that the fingers are normally disposed under the tapesI means for actuating the carriage horizontally forward into the layboy to dispose the fingers above the main support below the tapes in order that the tapes may feed the sheets to the fingers for stacking on the fingers, and a two-armed pivoted angle member disposed with its angle oriented toward the fingers and with one of its arms at the level of the fingers, the fingers entering the angle of the angle member at the limit of their forward movement and engaging the said arm in order to effect pivotal movement of the angle member and thereby to effect engagement of the fingers by the other arm to provide a support by the said other arm for the forward ends of the fingers.

6. A sheet-feeding-and-stacking machine having, in combination, a main support for a stack of sheets, means for feeding sheets along a predetermined path over the main support for stacking thereon, an auxiliary support for a stack of sheets, means for actuating the auxiliary support to a position above the main support in the path of feed of the sheets in order that the feeding means may feed the sheets to the auxiliary support for stacking on the auxiliary support, and a twoarmed pivoted angle member disposed with its angle oriented toward the auxiliary support and with one of its arms in the path of forward movement of the auxiliary support in order that the forward end of the auxiliary support may be caused first to enter the angle of the angle member at the limit of the forward movement of the auxiliary support and then to engage the said arm in order to effect pivotal movement of the angle member and thereby to effect engagement of the mi., saidffforw-ardf end'':v of.` tli'ei awiillazry,"supportiV by th'e othenarm' to i providefr ai supporti153'"the?said."A other:` alf-m1 for" the' said? forward?y endV of? the'A auxiliary' support; o

ing, in combination,- aiframe; a'flay'boyfinfwhich:

below the' conveyor 'tapes'.so that' f-th'e fingersl are f normallyL dsposed in'r substantially a2 horizontal? plane -just b'elowf: the* conveyorf 1,^a:nes';.the; lnger-s1- b'ein'g'foff vertical? crossdinensionzsmall?` enough toy permit off their" interposltion'.- justf above` the@ top'of the'- sta'ckfof"slieetsuporthemain support:

carriagehorizrontally forwardtoward'thelaybo'y tor-ihterpesefthe fingers in' etlief layJioo'y-1 in" tle said-Y substantially horizontal plane at a positionjustabove'tle't'opoftlevstaolofseetsupon-themain 30?; 2,336,839

l2 supporti-andi. just belnwfth' pathv oftravel'. of; the sheets over the main supportirrorder; thatA thef conveyor. tapes? may'f'lee'd? thesleets'` to the: auxiliaryJ support' for; stacking: on'. the auxiliary sup 1 porta-n'd a?two.-armed:pivotedangle member dis;-

posedz with' its angle; oriented? toward the' ngers' an'dwitli one'.ofitsarmsat'the:level of' the' fingers in'zvtlie'r patlrI of forward' movement. of the ngersf inforden'fthat the' forward'lend's' of.y the ngersnrayf bei causedi first'y toi' enter.' the. angle' of4v the angle memberat'thei lmitof the forward movement'othev4 auxiliary supportl and then'. to' engage the saidr arm' in order' tof effect' pivotal: movement; ofz thefanglefmember andf thereby'to eectengager-d menta of 'i the forward'z ends of." thei ngers' by' thE- other:- atmrf tokprovdef aa support.rv by: the saidothervv arm for the forward ends of the fingers.

LOUISt v L.- y MATTHEWS REFERENCESI ClTEDfA The-' following' references' arey of! record" in"A the' l'e of; this* patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date. J.'f,699,-28.v English-et a1. J an. ,15j 19293 157115827 Berryl May"'T,f.1929-` 15892;.'794f Wertzler; Jan;,.3,I 1933'- 2;205,-76:7- Lamb' Junei25, 19401 Blackstone.- Deo. 14; 19433 

